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Tea AeroPress: Why It Works Well and What Teas to Try First

Josh Caliguire — Fri, 22 May 2026 18:41:27 GMT

Ever had turkish coffee before? Don't take the last sip. It's pure silt.

Working with loose leaf tea, depending on the type, can be the same. I've tried a lot of strainers and infusers over the years, and I would say at most of them still let something through, of if they are too fine, get clogged.

This is why tea bags have always had an advantage. The paper is just... clean. Every sip, right to the bottom.

But here's the thing. Tea bags aren't always what you want. If you're chasing a quality good tea, a bag just isn't going to cut it. So for a long time I felt like I was stuck choosing between quality and cleanliness.

But then I took my favorite coffeemaker... and tried it with tea. Boom.

You get all the richness and complexity of loose-leaf tea with none of the mess. It is genuinely the best of both worlds.

It Also Goes Everywhere You Go

I have made AeroPress tea while camping. I have made it in Egypt, in Turkey, and in Switzerland... in Mexico, in Canada. All you need is some way to boil water and you are set. The AeroPress itself is compact enough to stuff into even a light pack.

The paper filters take up almost no space and create almost no waste. And cleanup is so fast it barely counts as cleanup. You pop the puck out, rinse it, and you're done. If you already use an AeroPress for coffee, you know this ritual well. I love the pucks.

Speaking of coffee, this is one of my favorite things: you can make both coffee and tea with the same device. Just wash it well before switching. A little soap, a good rinse. I have gone back and forth many times and it works beautifully. One tool, two worlds.

This worked particularly well on my trip to turkey. Fun fact: Turkey has incredible loose-leaf Black Tea, grown right off the Black Sea. They do not use bags much there. The tea has these really lovely floral and rose notes that are iconic to the region, and if you have ever had Turkish delight, that rose flavor will feel familiar immediately.

I happened to have my AeroPress with me and was able to brew it properly, getting all that clarity and complexity without any sediment. It was one of those travel moments that just works out. Oh, and I got about 3 steepings each time I brewed a batch.

What to Brew: Three teas to start pressing

1. Yerba mate.

Mate might be the messiest tea on the planet to brew traditionally. The straw, the gourd, the powder that gets into everything.

I have tried a lot of methods to make a clean cup of mate, and the AeroPress is the only one that has actually worked for me. The pressure pushes through even the finest particles in a way that gravity-based methods simply cannot do. If you want the full breakdown on this, I wrote a whole post about making yerba mate with an Aeropress..

2. Black tea.

I love a good English tea as much as anyone, and there is nothing wrong with a bag. But when you want something more intentional, loose-leaf black tea in the AeroPress is worth the small extra effort. You will want to use a bit more leaf than you might expect so it still comes out with good strength, but the flavor and customization you get are really satisfying.

A quality loose-leaf black tea brewed this way is a different experience. Even if you are still adding milk and sugar/honey.

3. Oolongs, pu-ers, and beyond.

Honestly, most teas do well in the AeroPress. I encourage you to experiment and let me know what you find. One thing worth calling out specifically for oolongs and pu-ers: you can steep them over and over again. Reload the filter, add more water, and keep going. A good oolong can easily go five steepings or more. You will be surprised how much tea you get out of a single serving, and how hydrated you end up. This is something you would never do with coffee grounds. Take advantage of it.

One note on matcha: I would skip it. Matcha is a powder, and the whole point is that the powder goes into your drink. Running it through a paper filter defeats the purpose entirely. Stick to a whisk and a bowl for that one. If you are wanting to make other japanese teas, learn more varieties here.

A Simple Recipe Rule

When in doubt, under steep it. You can always steep more. You cannot un-steep. Start shorter than you think you need to and adjust from there. This one rule has saved me more cups of tea than any other piece of advice I could give.

If you want my top tips on what kettle to use for the best tea results, or how to make your yerba mate less bitter, journey on here!

Why Your Tea Tastes Bitter (It's Time and Temperature)

Josh Caliguire — Thu, 21 May 2026 22:31:12 GMT

There are a lot of ways to think about making a great cup of tea (provided you have quality tea and good water to start with), but when you strip everything down, you're really only playing with two variables: time and temperature of steeping.

That's it. Get those two right and you're going to have a great cup almost every time. Get them wrong and you're going to be reaching for the milk and sugar to still enjoy it.

I actually think the yin yang symbol is the perfect image for what a well-made cup of tea should feel like. Half dark, half light. The balance is the whole point. Tea has this natural depth and strength on one side, and a clean, gentle sweetness and brightness on the other.

When you brew too light, it has no depth, no dynamic. Only sweet. When you push too hard on the dark side, meaning too hot or too long, you destroy the balance.

If you find the middle... you get rewarded.

So let's talk about both of these key factors.

Temperature and Your Kettle

This one trips people up more than you'd think, mostly because almost nobody questions it. You boil the kettle, you pour it in, that's just how you make tea. But boiling water is 212°F, and most teas don't want anywhere near that. Green tea and white tea in particular get punished by boiling water. The heat essentially overcooks the leaf, and what comes out tastes harsh before you even get to how long you might steep it for.

A good target for most teas is somewhere in the 175°F range. Quality loose leaf black tea can handle a bit more heat, but even then, 200°F is a safer ceiling than boiling.

Need instructions on Yerba Mate for bitterness?

The easiest way to solve? Get a kettle with temperature control. Seriously, this is one of the best small investments you can make if you drink tea regularly. My recommendation is the Fellow Corvo EKG.

I'd steer you away from the gooseneck version for everyday use, especially if you're making a few cups in a row. It pours too slowly and it gets tedious fast. Goosenecks are classy for 3 minute coffee pourovers, and not much else.

The Corvo is the one to get. Easy spout, and a gorgeous display/adjust, and even a timer built in.

If you want something with a wider spout, more capacity, and five preset temperature options for different tea types, the Breville Smart Kettle Luxe is excellent and comes in a ton of colors if that matters to you.

Prefer glass options for kettles? Here is my review of Breville's Crystal Clear.

Cold Rinse or Add a Little Cold Water First

This is something I do all the time and it works really well. If I don't have a temperature-controlled kettle nearby or I just boiled water and don't want to wait, I'll pour in roughly a quarter to a fifth of the water cold first, then add the hot water on top. If your kettle just came off a full boil, adding that bit of cold water brings it down to roughly 175°F, which is right where you want to be for most teas. It's a simple trick but it genuinely makes a difference, and it works especially well for making yerba maté, green tea, and white tea.

Time

This is the big one, and honestly where most people go wrong without realizing it.

The longer tea leaves sit in water, the more they give. That sounds straightforward, but what they give changes over time. In the first minute or so, you're pulling out the good stuff: the sweetness, the aromatic complexity, the strength of the leaves. Past that window, you start pulling out more tannins, and tannins are what produce bitterness. The tea doesn't slowly get stronger in a good way. It gets stronger in a sharp, unpleasant way. Look up the word Astringent.

This is especially common with tea bags. People drop one in, forget about it, and never take it out, and wonder why their tea tastes like battery acid. The tea isn't the problem. The time is.

In Europe, one thing you notice quickly is that tea culture over there has a built-in solution for this. Almost every cup of tea comes with a small plate sitting right next to the mug. You steep the bag or your infuser, pull it out, rest it on the little plate, and you're done. It's just part of how they serve tea because they understand that leaving it in is not doing you any favors. We don't have that same habit here, but it's worth borrowing.

My general rule: start pulling your tea out on the earlier side. With most teas, a minute to two minutes is plenty, especially if you're giving it a gentle stir or agitation with a spoon. Movement speeds up extraction, so you don't need as much time as you think. You can also use color as a rough guide. When it looks like it's getting to where you want it to be, that's your cue.

When in doubt, pull it out earlier than you think. You can always steep it a little longer next time. You cannot un-steep an overbrewed cup.

Want to experiment more with time and temperature? Try Tea Ceremonies.

If you want to go deep on time and temperature as a practice, the Gong Fu Cha tea ceremony is one of the most direct ways to actually feel the difference. Short steeps, precise water temperature, and multiple rounds from the same leaves. You start to understand the leaf in a completely different way.

Learn more about How Gong Fu Cha tea ceremonies work and why it's the best for time and temperature.

How to Make Yerba Maté Less Bitter

Josh Caliguire — Thu, 21 May 2026 17:58:45 GMT

Let's be honest, maté is a lot. If you've ever taken your first sip and wondered why anyone willingly drinks this, you're not alone. Yerba maté is one of the most bitter beverages I have tried, and while plenty of people eventually come to love that intensity, plenty of others never quite get there. Or it can just take a while to adjust. If you're drinking maté for the caffeine boost or the health benefits but the taste is making it hard to stick with, I want to give you a few practical things to try.

But first, the traditional approach.

Start Here: The Traditional Method

Maté is traditionally prepared in a small gourd-style cup using a metal filtered straw called a bombilla, which filters out the loose leaves as you drink. The water is poured directly over the packed leaves and sipped slowly through the straw.

The single most important variable when it comes to bitterness is water temperature. Most people make maté too hot, and that's where some of the harshness comes from. Aim for around 175°F, not boiling. A thermometer helps, but you can also just let your kettle sit for a minute or two after boiling before you pour.

Another trick worth trying is starting with a small amount of cold water before adding your hot water. It can help protect the leaves and mellow the first steep. Regardless, getting the temperature right is the biggest thing you can do before exploring anything else.

That said, maté is maté. Even brewed perfectly, it's a bitter drink. It takes some time to get used to, and some people simply never fully do. So if you need a little help, here are three things that actually work.

1. Add Lemon

This is my personal favorite and the one I keep coming back to. Slice up two or three pieces of fresh lemon and drop them near the bottom of your cup, close to the straw, before you add your water. What happens when lemon heats up is a little surprising. Yes, there's the sourness you'd expect, but the heat also draws out a natural sweetness from the lemon that does a lot to balance the bitterness of the maté.

Honestly, I got to a point where I just prefer maté with hot lemon over straight maté. Pure maté by itself can be pretty overwhelming, and the lemon rounds it out in a way that makes it genuinely enjoyable rather than something to just push through. I keep a good supply of fresh lemons in my fridge at all times.

I love lemon in water. Lemon with maté is epic.

2. Add Milk

I first discovered this at a café that was making a maté latte, and it stuck with me. Milk softens the bitterness significantly and gives the drink a creamier, more approachable body.

I don't steam my milk, or even use a frother. I keep it as simple as possible. My method is to use an AeroPress (here's why) and then transfer it to a thermos to keep it warm. Here's what it looks like:

But even just adding a splash of cold or warmed milk directly to your maté is enough to notice a real difference. It rounds off the edge. Once you're using milk, you can explore honey, cinnamon... it has become my favorite work drink combo. Healthy, simple, and great energy.

3. Still Too Bitter? Add Sweetener, But Try a Few.

Simple, but effective. If you're going to sweeten your maté, I'd reach for brown sugar first, since it has a depth to it that pairs well with maté's earthiness in a way plain white sugar doesn't quite match. My Lebanese friend Jonathan showed me how he pinched sugar onto the very top of the Yerba, and as he poured over time it slowly melted in.

Agave and honey are also worth trying, and they each bring their own character to the cup. Play around with them and see what feels right for you.

A few other ideas worth exploring: some people add a splash of juice, especially with cold-brewed maté, though I'd be more selective with that if you're drinking it hot. There are also some good calorie-free simple syrups on the market now if you want the sweetness without the sugar, definitely worth checking out if that matters to you.

I hope at least one of these helps you find your version of maté that you actually look forward to. It really is a remarkable drink once you find your way into it. The energy is clean, the health benefits are real, and once it clicks it tends to stick. Give these a try and see what works for you.

How to Upgrade the Way You Sell Tea (And Why It's Worth It)

Josh Caliguire — Wed, 20 May 2026 23:11:43 GMT

I've spent time consulting with tea shops, coffee shops, and restaurants on how to improve the way they sell tea. What I've found again and again is that many businesses offer a half-assed effort to serve tea, meanwhile the market for tea has been increasing significantly over the years. I want to help you get on the train.

The Problem

When it comes to tea sales in coffee shops, restaurants, and businesses, the numbers are often underwhelming — not because customers don't want good tea, but because we're not giving them anything worth wanting.

I've walked into places with phenomenal food, thoughtfully curated coffee menus, and a genuine passion for their craft... only to find the tea selection is a box of off-brand bags from Costco or Sam's Club, sitting in a drawer somewhere, barely worth listing on the menu. At that point, you're not really selling tea. You're just checking a box. And you're not making enough money off it to justify even having it there. It's the cheapest thing on the menu. But what if tea could actually bring value to your customers?

Here's the thing: tea sales in a restaurant, coffee shop, or any food-and-beverage business have enormous untapped potential. People pay for an experience. And tea, done well, is one of the most experiential beverages you can offer. Upgrading your tea can open up a whole new customer profile, give your team something fresh to innovate with, and genuinely improve your margins because premium, well-presented tea can deserve a premium price.

This is a win for everyone. Your customers get something unique and beautiful. Your staff get something interesting to talk about and sell. And you get to charge more for it because it's genuinely worth more.

Why This Is a Win

Before getting into the specifics, let's talk about why improving tea sales is worth your time and investment.

The specialty coffee world has done something remarkable over the past two decades — it trained people to pay $6, $7, $8 for a cup of coffee because the experience, quality, and craft justified it. I was just in Southern California and went to a bumping coffee shop with $10 espressos and $17 pourovers. And people had no problem paying for the quality.

Tea has that same potential, and in many ways even more, because most people haven't yet had the experience of truly great tea served thoughtfully. That novelty is an opportunity.

A curated loose-leaf tea program with interesting origins, beautiful presentation, and a touch of ceremony — can become a genuine differentiator for your business. It's one of the easiest ways to offer something meaningful that your competitors almost certainly aren't doing well. And because the raw cost of quality loose-leaf tea is still relatively modest, the margin when you charge appropriately for the experience can be excellent.

Here's my top tips.

Recommendation #1: LET THE PEOPLE USE THEIR NOSE AND EYES.

This is my single highest recommendation to anyone looking to increase their tea sales in a coffee shop, restaurant, or business: get the tea out where people can smell it and see it.

Tea does not sell by words alone. No matter how beautiful your menu design is or how carefully you've written the description, tea sells best when it's in someone's hands and in their nostrils. The moment a guest picks up a jar, pops the lid, and takes a smell — you've already made the sale most of the time. See that smile on their face?

My recommendation is simple: use small, clean glass jars with an airtight seal that can be easily opened. Display them on the counter, on the table, or wherever guests naturally interact with your team. Make it easy and inviting for someone to pick one up and take a sniff. You'll be amazed at how often that one moment, that sensory spark, is all it takes. They'll pass it to their friend. They'll order some!

This also creates natural conversation. Your team doesn't have to memorize a long sales pitch. They just hand someone a jar and let the tea do the talking.

Recommendation #2: Upgrade from Tea Bags to Loose-Leaf Tea — and Get Creative.

If you're still using tea bags, it's time to make the switch to loose-leaf tea. Not just for quality reasons (though the flavor difference is real and noticeable), but because loose-leaf tea is simply more beautiful. It looks interesting. It smells incredible. It invites curiosity.

Guests can see what they're actually drinking — the leaves, the botanicals, the color. It turns a commodity into something worth paying attention to.

Once you've made that switch, the creative possibilities open up significantly — and this matters especially if you work primarily in the coffee world.

Here's the reality: there are only so many things you can do with an espresso machine before you've exhausted the menu. Cappuccinos, lattes, flat whites, iced coffees... all wonderful, but the template is familiar. I've watched coffee shops come alive with renewed energy when the tea lineup becomes genuinely competitive with the coffee options. When guests look at the menu and see five or six tea drinks that are as interesting and thoughtfully crafted as anything on the espresso side, it changes the appeal. Make it premium, make it an experience.

Recommendation #3: Get the Tea in People's Hands to Participate.

The more people can participate in the process, the more ownership they feel over it, and the more they enjoy it. It sounds simple, but it's powerful.

My biggest recommendation here is to offer a French press service for loose-leaf tea. Steep the tea in a glass French press and let the guest take it to their table with them. It's visually stunning, it keeps the tea warm, and it gives the guest something to interact with and control. Give them ceramic cups, several. Make it shareable. Put it on wood.

BONUS: Want to give an extra kick to the experience? Get really small glass french presses. Offer a flight, like they do with whiskey and beer.

You can take it even further by pairing the French press with a small hourglass timer set with one or two minutes, so guests can time their own steep. Or offer a teapot/press that they pour themselves. These are small investments that dramatically elevate the experience and give people something to talk about.

When someone walks out having had that kind of tea service, they remember it. They come back for it. They tell people about it. That's how you build a tea sales program in a coffee shop or restaurant that actually means something.

The upsell? Start selling those teas to take home. Either bags or loose leaf. Make that a clear option.

Where to Go From Here

If you put these things in place — the loose-leaf switch, the glass jar displays, the creative menu, the hands-on service — you won't just improve your tea sales. You'll develop a whole new customer profile. Some of your guests will start coming in specifically because of the tea. Others who didn't think they were tea people will discover they are, because someone finally gave them a reason to care.

The bar is honestly low right now. Most businesses are doing very little with tea, which means that even modest upgrades make you stand out in a meaningful way. A thoughtful loose-leaf tea program, well presented and genuinely enjoyed by your team, is one of the best investments you can make in your menu.

Have questions about where to source good loose-leaf tea? Send me an email at josh.caliguire@gmail.com. I'm happy to give recommendations based on where you're located and what your customer profile looks like.

Why You Should Skip the OXO Glass Kettle (And What to Get Instead)

Josh Caliguire — Tue, 19 May 2026 05:53:28 GMT

The Best Electric Kettle for Your Kitchen (Skip the OXO)

I make drinks constantly. I boil a lot of water, and a lot at a time. I love community, friendship, and hosting... which requires many cups, many servings!

The kettle is probably the most-used tool in my kitchen, and after years of boiling water multiple times a day, I've developed some strong opinions.

The one that has held up through all of it is the Breville Crystal Clear. It has been the sturdiest, most reliable thing on my counter for years. And honestly? It might be the most beautiful part of my kitchen. The glass is crystal clear, it looks great, and it just works.

Here's my take on why it beats the OXO, and what to consider if you want to go even further.

Breville Crystal Clear vs. OXO Cordless Glass Kettle

Before we begin - you're already in the right direction. Avoid plastic or silicon boilers. They have all sorts of sketchy stuff going on. Stainless steel is next up, but here's where these two win... the glass is sturdy and SO BEAUTIFUL TO WATCH. Ok so let's talk about where they differ.

On paper, these two look similar. Both hold about 1.75 liters, both have glass bodies, both are cordless with a 360° swivel base. But the details matter.

The Breville runs at 1800 watts compared to the OXO's 1500, which means it boils meaningfully faster. More importantly, the Breville is made with Schott glass from Germany. I always like seeing that on the side of it in small white writing.

Boil after boiling, even a bit above the max line... sometimes. Lots of coffee to serve!

The Breville also has a small filter built into the lid, which is a small but genuinely useful feature. If you have any calcium buildup in your water, that filter catches it before it ends up in your cup. It's a small detail that tells you the product was designed by people who actually use it.

I trust Breville as a company. They make espresso machines, their partnership with Nespresso has always been great, and that culture of quality carries into everything they make. The OXO is a perfectly fine kettle, but when you put them side by side, the Breville is the better-built product and it shows in how long it lasts.

The Upgrade: Breville IQ Kettle

For most of your tea and coffee needs, the Crystal Clear is honestly all you need. But if you want to go next level, one thing I've come to appreciate is temperature control. Not all water should be boiling. Green tea, white tea, oolongs — they all benefit from water that's slightly cooler, and getting that right makes a real difference in the cup.

I've loved Fellow kettles for this reason, but they hold such a small amount of water. That's always been a limitation. One of my favorite things about the Breville Crystal Clear is how much it holds. I can make drinks for a room full of people without stressing.

The Breville IQ keeps everything I love about Breville and adds five temperature presets, a 20-minute keep-warm function, and the same trusted build quality. It's on my wish list. If you're serious about your brewing and want something that does it all, that's the one I'd be looking at.

A note on tea: if you're getting into loose leaf tea or want to try a gongfu tea ceremony at home, either of these kettles will work beautifully. The ritual of gongfu brewing is all about water temperature, attention, and repeated small pours, and having a good kettle you trust makes the whole experience better.

How to Talk to People: 5 Tips for Making New Friends

Josh Caliguire — Mon, 18 May 2026 20:41:38 GMT

Talking to new people can be hard. It's risky. First impressions are nerve-racking, awkward interactions happen often, and in general, there's a lot of guessing. But those interactions are both inevitable and essential. And the better we get at them, the more doors open.

When you get better at talking to new people, it's like the movie Yes Man with Jim Carrey. New things can happen! New possibilities, new friendships, and new adventure. Besides, isn't life made rich through relationships? They all have a starting place!

Over the years, I have had to practice my interactions with people. I still biff it, embarrass myself, and make false presumptions. But I grow. What I have observed through my own learning is that over time, I am getting better at making people feel comfortable around me. There are ways I can talk to them that make their shoulders drop a bit, their eyes get less shifty. My own as well. It does get easier.

Holding a conversation is an art. There can appear to be lots of dead ends. But as you practice, you can find ways to sustain them and enjoy them until it's time to say goodbye. I know, sometimes it feels like you have to survive a conversation. But other times, a true bond is made. They will always be unpredictable.

Through a couple thousand conversations in recent years, I want to give you some free tips to help you get ahead and enjoy your chats with new people!

#1 Say Hello to More People Around You

Sometimes we pass with downcast eyes, only talking to people when necessary. But when we greet others around us, looking them in the eyes, it validates them, showing them they matter. It also denotes confidence, that you're willing to engage with them. It doesn't cost much. Just a greeting and a smile!

Living in Mexico, I picked up a very warm culture of saying hi. Everywhere you go, all day: Buenos Días, Buenas Tardes, Buenas Noches! I loved smiling and getting a smile back. Greeting and getting a greeting back. Even if I pass someone with a big grumpy face, I'll give them a chipper greeting and a smile, and all of a sudden, it's like they took a sip of strawberry milkshake. Someone said hi!

Now, wherever I go, I say hello to those around me and look them in the eyes. It's small, but I think it's meaningful and worth doing. Yes, even in the places where it's not as customary. Sometimes they're taken off guard… is he greeting me? We don't do that here. But I think they appreciate it. Everyone needs more connection. I'm willing to be the weird one.

Homework: Say hello!

#2 Ask for People's Names — More Than Is Customary

Knowing someone's name helps them become of more substance in your mind. They go from random stranger to Jerry. Or Mary. Or Gary. This one's pretty basic, I know. Get people's names more often, share yours. And if/when you see them again and you remember their name, it's a subtle but meaningful moment of, "you matter, I remember you!"

This became more and more important to me with interactions from people in any service industry. They can be treated less-than-human and it's sad to watch or hear about. Being their favorite customer of the day might be as easy as caring beyond you just receiving their service.

Homework: If someone is serving you, get their name. Bonus: Ask them how their shift is going.

#3 Consider Everyone as Your Friend

I have developed an acute tenderness when I am in public. It's like a general sense of moral affection towards those around me. It's an inward belief that people are precious, they all have stories, and they all long to be loved. So as a citizen of planet earth, I just made the decision that they're my friends. Or at least, I am their friend. I wouldn't mind talking to them. I wouldn't mind serving them or helping them with something.

Just that little mindset makes me smile when I walk around, almost like I'm looking at a room of friends. Or at least… pre-friends. If growing in talking with new people requires some perspective change, considering everyone as your friend might be my favorite. When you're generous in your friendship towards others, you will find it reciprocated back more often. If you want to learn how to improve your current friendships, try this.

Homework: As you walk around, think, "they're my friend."

#4 Become a Student of Someone's First Language

When you meet someone with a foreign accent, don't ask "where are you from?" At least not initially. They may just be from your town. I've found a better question: ask, "what's your first language?" It's a more respectful, non-assuming question.

Then, somewhere in the conversation, ask them how to say hello. Try your best to repeat it. Open your notes app and write it down with the translation, just as you hear it. Then ask them how to say thank you, repeat it, and write that down too. You will see them grinning. And next time you see them, pull out your phone notes and practice again!

Learning a few words from their language honors them. Showing interest in their background tells them that they matter. Greet them in their mother tongue!

Homework: Learn the greetings of someone's mother tongue and write the words and translation down in your phone to remember. Just write it down as you hear it. Bonus: Create a new note per language.

#5 Ask and Listen Out of Pure Curiosity

My mom said something to me that I never want to forget: "If you care enough to know, you will find… people are profoundly interesting." Sometimes we only listen to people enough to give an apt response back. We ask questions just to pass the time, not because we truly want to know more about their life and who they are.

But this has been deeply helpful to me: instead of listening for how to piggy back with another idea or comment, listen for nuggets. A nugget is something you can identify with, empathize to, or become even more curious about. "So what was that like?" "How did that come about?"

Homework: Go deeper into people's stories. You will find… people are profoundly interesting.

Thanks for tagging along, friends.

If you want to know one of my favorite ways to connect with people, learn about tea ceremonies.

The Best Tea Experience in Amsterdam - Walk or Bike to Moychay Tea House

Josh Caliguire — Mon, 18 May 2026 07:04:14 GMT

I'm American. My wife is Dutch. And getting to know this country, its people, and honestly its food and drink culture has been one of the great joys of my life. From hagelslag to hezellig, endless cups of tee and coffee... Dutch culture has become romantic to me!

I love writing about tea and travel. Today, come with me for the best tea in Amsterdam!

If you have a few free hours in Amsterdam, with a long layover through the train station or a few days... one of the best ways you could possibly spend that free time is at Moychay.

How did I get there from the train sation? By bike (on the handlebars actually). My local friend told me it would be fine. I was terrified. But we got there.

She knew I loved tea, and knew just where to go!

Moychay: Tea in Amsterdam at a Whole Other Level

Moychay is a full on tea-house. They're tucked into a beautiful spot on Rozengracht 92H in Amsterdam, and from the moment you walk in, it is a completely different world.

They carry more than 250 teas from 13 countries. And along with the teas, they have over a thousand unique pieces of teaware, all handmade, all authentic. Cups, teapots, gaiwans, tea pets. It is a lot to take in. If you don't know much about tea, this will be your perfect intro.

But here's what makes it special and BLEW ME AWAY!

Upstairs, there are three beautifully designed tea ceremony rooms: one Japanese, one Chinese, one Taiwanese. Each one has its own feel, its own ambiance.

You can reserve a room and experience a full Gong Fu Cha ceremony.

If you don't know what that is, read up here before you go. I'll explain how it works.

The staff were incredibly kind when I went. Genuinely knowledgeable and not snobby about it at all. They meet you where you are. Whether you've been drinking loose-leaf tea for years or you just walked in off the canal with no idea what you're doing, they will take care of you.

Even if you're looking for free things to do in Amsterdam, a visit to this place will be highlight. The smells are for free. And with how friendly the staff are, I'm sure you could score some samples. Good luck not buying some then haha!

What to Order

If you're not sure where to start, here's my honest recommendation.

Ask for an oolong. It's a great entry point if you're newer to loose-leaf tea, and Moychay has a serious selection. Approachable, good for tea ceremonies/multiple steepings.

But if you're ready to go deeper, ask for a pu-erh. And especially try the ripe pu-erh, also called shu pu-erh. It's dark, earthy, rich, and genuinely exciting in a way that's hard to describe until you've tried it. Some people say it tastes like dirt. I think that's about right... but just really good dirt.

Just give it a try.

Used to just using teabags? Nothing wrong with that. But get excited.

Here's the thing about the Dutch. They actually have a deep history with tea. The Dutch were among the first to bring tea to Europe and the Western world at all. They love cups of tea, all day long.

Tea is everywhere here. But if you want the extreme end of the spectrum, if you want something that will completely reframe what a cup of tea even is, Moychay is your answer. It will romance you.

Amsterdam is such a perfect place for something like this. It's a city that has always been a crossroads of cultures and ideas from around the world. A place where a Chinese tea ceremony room sits inside a Dutch canal house just feels right. It fits. It's a vibe.

If you have a day off, or even just a few free hours, give it a go.

Even if you are looking for things to do in Amsterdam for free, I'd recommend making a walk/bike ride and seeing/smelling it all. You will learn a ton.

The Best Tea Experiences in Boulder - Tea Houses, Chai, and Tours

Josh Caliguire — Mon, 18 May 2026 06:02:59 GMT

Before moving to Boulder, Colorado, the extent of my tea world was Lipton bags and Arizona Green Tea. I had no idea until moving there in 2014 that there is an entire world of tea.

A universe, really, with as many flavors, notes, countries, varieties, and cultures behind it as anything I'd ever explored in the coffee world, if not way more. And Boulder just happens to be one of the best places in the country to discover that.

If you have some time in Boulder and you're looking for a phenomenal tea experience, whether you're a curious beginner, a seasoned enthusiast, or just looking for somewhere genuinely special to take someone, here's where you should go sipping or shopping.

Dushanbe Tea House: Boulder's Most Stunning Tea House

Let's start with the WOW factor... at the Dushanbe Tea House.

This teahouse was handcrafted in Dushanbe, the capital city of Tajikistan, and gifted to Boulder as part of a sister city relationship in 1987. It is a literal replica of the one in their city.

Just think how wild that is... they built it in Dushanbe first. Then they took the entire thing apart, packed it into roughly 200 crates, and shipped it across the world.

The result is one of the most breathtaking interiors I've ever sat inside. Hand-carved vaulted ceilings, hand-painted ceramic columns, intricate tilework. It is genuinely a work of art. Just sitting in the space feels like being transported somewhere.

The experience here is amazing. If this is a short trip or you're taking someone out for a date, I would absolutely recommend this place. Beautiful space, incredible tea, an atmosphere that slows you down and makes the conversation better. It's the kind of place that makes an impression.

When you go, I'd especially recommend two things: first, try something off their loose-leaf menu. They have an epic selection of quality teas and it's a great way to experience the space at your own pace.

But if you really want to do it right, book the Afternoon Tea service. Ever heard of "high tea"? It's iconic.

Here's the deets:

Served daily, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
90-minute seated service
Includes a curated selection of fine teas paired with an elegant tiered spread: savory finger sandwiches, delicate pastries, and house-made scones with jam and clotted cream
$29 per adult | $17 per child
Reservations required 24 hours in advance. Book via Tock or call 303-442-4993

Ku Cha House of Tea: A Traditional Chinese Tea House Smack Dab on Pearl Street.

Ku Cha has been close to my heart for a long time. I discovered it as a high school student and I would go in, grab a pot of tea, and sit in the back reading books for hours. It's one of those places that becomes part of you. You can read my tea journey here.

Located on Pearl Street Mall, Ku Cha House of Tea is Colorado's largest specialty tea shop, carrying more than 200 teas and herbs, most of them single-origin and sourced from all over the world.

What really sets them apart is that they've built genuine personal relationships with some of the farmers and producers they work with over their 20+ year history. This isn't a shop just buying commodity tea in bulk. They always have a selection of the top ten Chinese greens in the world available, which they stay up to date with the rotation in China. The quality and freshness of those are out of this world.

If you're just getting into tea, or you didn't even know there was a world of tea to get into, this is one of the best places to start. The staff are knowledgeable and not pretentious about it. You can smell teas, ask questions, and take some home with you to continue exploring. My first bags were the Chocolate Mint black tea and Toasted Almond which are both phenomenal.

Beyond the retail floor, they have a tea room in the back: low tables, cushions on the floor, and a large bubbling water feature that sets a really peaceful, grounding atmosphere. They don't offer Wi-Fi intentionally, so that people actually enjoy their time and connect with each other. That alone says something about the spirit of the place.

You can order pot service and just sit in the quiet for a while. Or, if you want to go deeper, try the Gong Fu Cha tea ceremony, the traditional Chinese method of brewing tea with precision, intentionality, and real skill. It's one of my favorite things to do when I want to genuinely slow down. I wrote more about what the Chinese tea ceremony is and why it's worth experiencing. Check out that post here if you're curious before you go.

Sherpa's Adventure Restaurant: The Best Chai in Boulder, Full Stop

If you're doing a day in Boulder, there is one more stop you need to make. And it's not a tea shop. It's Sherpa's Adventure Restaurant & Bar, a Nepalese restaurant tucked into a sweet Victorian house on Walnut Street, about one block off West Pearl. And they make, without question, some of the best homemade chai I've ever had. They know what they're doing.

The chai here is the real stuff. Spicy, creamy, warming, and built from a blend of ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and black pepper, with spices sourced from Nepal. It's the kind of chai that tastes like it came from someone's kitchen, not a syrup pump. The recipe actually became so popular it eventually grew into its own brand, Sherpa Chai, which you can now find across Colorado. But the original is right here, in this restaurant, and nothing beats it in person.

On a sunny Boulder day, the combination of sitting outside, sipping that chai, and ordering the lamb vindaloo with fresh naan is honestly one of my favorite things to do in the city. I love every time I visit, and I usually sit outside on the patio under the grape leafed pergola. Dreamy, right?

Whether you stop in just for a cup of chai or make it a full lunch, it's a win. When I used to work at a tech office downtown, Sherpa's was my Friday lunch spot with friends.

Celestial Seasonings Tea Tour

Okay this might sound a bit wild on a free day, but DO THE TEA TOUR. The Celestial Seasonings Tea Tour.

Celestial Seasonings is one of the largest herbal tea companies in the world. You've seen their stuff. They're most famous for their Sleepytime blend, but they go way, way beyond that. And their factory is right here in Boulder.

The tour is $6, about 45 minutes, and it's phenomenal. You walk through the actual blending and packaging facility, watch production in action, and get to taste their stuff at the end.

The whole history of how herbal tea became a mainstream, globally marketed product is woven into the tour. They genuinely coined the phrase "herbal tea" as a commercial category. That's a real piece of tea history, and it came out of Boulder. I wrote about what tea really is here. I learned it from them.

The highlight for most people is the Peppermint Room, a massive warehouse space literally packed floor to ceiling with peppermint. The scent hits you like a wall the second you walk in. See how long you can last in there. It's intense in the best way.

Looks like tours run Monday–Saturday, 10 AM–4 PM, no reservation needed.

If you're a tea drinker, this is just a phenomenal way to spend a few hours. Even if you're over tea bags... don't skip it. You'll be impressed.

Bonus: Trident Books and Café

If you find yourself on Pearl Street and you need one more stop, or you just want coffee, books, and a good vibe, check out Trident Booksellers & Café. It's exactly what it sounds like: half bookstore, half coffee shop... classic Boulder.

What most people don't realize is that they have a surprisingly solid selection of loose-leaf teas and even offer tea ceremony supplies. I remember one of their black teas being genuinely mind-blowing. Very sweet.

If you need a little extra inspiration on your Boulder tea journey, it's worth checking out.

Boulder has a way of opening up worlds you didn't know existed. For me, tea was one of the biggest ones. If any of these spots calls to you, go. You won't regret it.

More Mold in Your Mate Gourd? Let's Talk Alternatives (And What I Do Now)

Josh Caliguire — Sat, 16 May 2026 04:50:25 GMT

Your mate gourd might be kind of gross.

It's a dark, musty vacuum, suffering from too much humidity and no proper way to clean it.

Now before you close the tab... hear me out.

*** this as someone who speaks Spanish, has close friends from Argentina and Chile, and has delighted in sharing with many people. I've passed many a gourd. I've taken the first intense steeping for a homie or two.***

And I love this stuff. I love the culture around it. I still make it the traditional way sometimes, and I'll never stop. I still think it is a few notches above coffee in terms of clean energy. I even did a whole month of jusy mate, no coffee, to feel the difference.

But I've also been experimenting. A lot.

And some of what I've found, I think you'll want to hear, especially if you're experiencing more green and black spots than what you are ready to combat over and over again.

The Gourd Problem Everyone Runs Into Eventually: Mold

You got a mate gourd. Maybe someone gifted it to you, maybe you ordered it online, maybe you impulse bought it in Argentina and lugged it home in your carry-on. That's certainly the coolest. Either way, you cured it (I hope), you loved it, you used it for a few weeks.

And then life got busy.

And you left the yerba in overnight, or... a few days.

And then... you saw something. Or smelled something. Or both.

Mold in a mate gourd is one of the most searched problems in the entire world of mate. And for good reason — a traditional gourd is made from a dried, fire-hardened squash. It's porous. It absorbs moisture. If you don't dry it out perfectly after every single use, it becomes a science experiment.

People use vinegar, baking soda, salt, lemon — and some of those work! — but you're fighting the nature of the material every time.

To me, the gourd is a high-maintenance vessel for a daily drink. And if you're drinking this thing every morning before you've fully woken up, that's... a lot of responsibility.

After parting with my molding gourd, I started experimenting.

Even if your gourd is spotless and perfectly cured, there's still the matter of the mate itself.

Yerba mate is not like loose-leaf tea (camellia sinensis). It's not even like coarse coffee grounds. It's a mix of stems, leaves, and a very fine powder... and that powder goes everywhere. Into the water. Into the straw. Into your mouth. Into your throat. I got used to it... for the most part.

The bombilla (the metal straw with a built-in filter) is designed for exactly this, and it works pretty well most of the time. But even with a good bombilla and good straw placement, you still get sediment. You still get that slightly gritty coating on the tongue. You still won't get it right every time, which means scoobies.

I know you can 'perfect' your placement with the monte, the way you put the bombilla in. But I'm just looking for a midday work break drink, without the complexity.

I started wondering: what if the mate didn't have to come with a side of dust, or having to use the straw?

My Filter Experiments (Not All of Them Worked)

I love a clean cup. My coffee rotation involves an AeroPress, a V60, a Chemex — I'm a paper filter person at heart. Clean, bright, sediment-free. So naturally, I started trying to apply that to mate.

Coffee pot. First attempt. Looked promising. Did not work. The powder in mate is so fine that the second it hits water, it coats every pore of the paper. The whole filter seals up. Water just sits there, going nowhere. I stood over it for longer than I'd like to admit, hoping gravity would eventually win. Gravity did not win. And the water? Scalding. Too hot. No control over temperature.

Pour over is technically the same situation... gravity-fed through paper... so same result. It looked cooler and more guaranteed with a 175 degree goose neck kettle making circles. But nothing dripped through.

French press. This one felt more promising, because at least you're using pressure. And it worked... sort of. The dust did come through, though, in a way that was still pretty unpleasant. The result was cloudy, almost silty. Like mate-colored water that hadn't fully decided what it wanted to be. The mesh filter in a French press is just too coarse for the job. It keeps out the really big stuff but lets all the fine powder through.

I drank it. I'm not going to pretend I didn't. But it wasn't the clean experience I was after.

Then I Remembered my AeroPress

I've been using an AeroPress for coffee for years. And one day it just clicked: this thing uses pressure, not gravity. That's the whole point of it.

And here's what I found - the pressure helps it come through quickly, but you get the same paper filter experience. What comes out is genuinely clean. No particles, no sediment, no gritty mouthfeel. Just mate. Properly filtered, ready to drink.

It's the same amount of effort as an aeropress of coffee which takes me only 3 minutes. And the result is the cleanest mate I've ever had.

The other thing the AeroPress gives you is control over infusion time — which matters for mate because temperature and steep time are the two main culprits for too much bitterness. With the AeroPress, you can let it steep, watch the clock, and press at exactly the right moment. Not too early, not too late. You decide.

And yes, you can absolutely do multiple infusions. I've gotten three to four solid infusions from a single AeroPress scoop of mate.

I've written a full breakdown of my AeroPress mate method over here if you want to go deep on technique.

Having Trouble with the Bitterness?

A few things I've found that work beautifully if the intensity is a lot at first:

Lemon (or lime) — especially when heated in the brewing mate. I've been adding lemon slices directly into the brew, and what I've noticed is that the heat sweetens the juice as it cooks into the mate. You end up with this sweet-sour thing happening that balances the bitterness in a way that just adding lemon juice doesn't quite replicate. Lime works well too. Try it both ways and see what lands for you.

Milk. This one surprised me. I first had a mate latte at the Yellow Deli in Boulder and thought it sounded strange. I was wrong. Whole milk rounds off the bitterness in a really nice way and makes it creamy and approachable... especially on an empty stomach when mate can hit hard.

Sugar works too, of course. But lemon or milk have become my go-to moves.

What About the Mold Problem? A Few Options.

If you love your gourd and want to keep using it, that's great...! Here are a couple of things that help: rinse it immediately after every use, let it dry fully upside-down, and don't store it with the lid on or in an enclosed space. Sunlight helps too.

But if you want to sidestep the issue entirely, the easiest solution is switching to a vessel that moisture can't penetrate in the first place. A glass mate cup or a stainless steel mate cup eliminates the mold problem by design... nothing to absorb, nothing to harbor anything over time. There are some genuinely beautiful options out there if you want the ritual of the gourd without the science experiment.

And if you're open to leaving the gourd behind entirely? The AeroPress Go might be your next step. It produces the cleanest, most controlled cup of mate I've found... and it fits in a bag, works anywhere, and takes a few seconds to clean.

I Still Love This Drink

This is just me being honest about what I've found through a lot of trial and error. I love trying teas and brewing methods from all over the world, and I'm always experimenting. Mate was too good a drink to let the dust situation be the final word.

If you've been discouraged by the mess, the mold, the gritty sips... give yourself permission to try something different. There are a lot of mate purists who say there is only one true way to make it, but I disagree. There is room for creativity. Ask the carbonated, sweetened cans of El Tony Mate from Switzerland. Man that stuff was fun to try on my last trip.

And if you do try the AeroPress method, I'd genuinely love to know what you think.

Let me know how it goes.

How to Be a More Consistent Friend: 4 Tips on Intentionality

Josh Caliguire — Fri, 15 May 2026 22:43:09 GMT

Today is a rainy Saturday and a flood of friends have been over at the house today, after our friend’s daughter’s birthday party got rained out. It was lovely. I love using my/our home as a place of blessing, hospitality, and connection with others.

I want to share some tips I have been trying to practice in my friendships recently. I certainly am not an expert or a social psychologist.

I’m just an aspiring ‘good friend’. I think being a good friend is undervalued and truly needed these days. I will call it a successful life if I can succeed at being a really good friend.

Here’s my four words that are currently my aim in my friendships: Consistency, Honesty, Priority, and Generosity.

Consistency

Regular, expected time with friends is the cheat code for me these days. Because making new weekly plans with friends can be exhausting. Always checking schedules, trying to make it exciting… it all can just be a grind.

Just having one time per week to do something, even the most simple of things like going on a walk together or having breakfast… can be quite helpful.

These days, Nathan and I walk our babies together in our strollers in the mornings. Not every morning, but we will text each other around 7AM and just see if the other is free. Someone normally brings coffee and little cups, and we meet up, walk for 45 minutes, ad say goodbye. Seeing Nathan every couple of days at the same time of day for the exact same thing just makes me happy. It gives me that people-connection-joy and makes my day better. And I know he appreciates it too.

Kyo and I go out for breakfast each week at a diner. I barely roll out of bed 5 minutes before I meet him, and even though I’m tired, it’s really good to see him each week and connect.

I pick up Colter 3 times a week for Early Mornings at my house. Getting a few minutes together with him, for the same days each week, in the early hours of the day, means more than words can say to me. I know that each week, no matter what’s going on, I will get to spend time with him.

These days, with our fragmented attention and busy schedules, simple but agreed-upon time to be with friends is a life saver.

Honesty

You may still be being honest with your friends. But do you ever connect with only the partial truth? The way of sharing how you are… that is true, but doesn’t reveal what is hard or painful?

I think it’s quite easy for us to waste opportunities with friends, only talking about what’s good, what’s working, what’s exciting, what’s funny. Because at the end of the day, you don’t really need to be known for what’s going well. You need to be known in what is not going well. With friends that can hold space for you. Or at least they will try as they know best, which is all we can ask!

I really awkwardly threw out a proposal of sharing “highs and lows” at a breakfast diner this week. Just me and two other guys, with diner mugs and booths. It felt like something you’d do in a middle school small group. But a few minutes later, we were all really glad to be in a deeper conversation with each other, getting to hear the good and the hard. It made all of us feel more comfortable to share the hard stuff that won’t just randomly come up in conversation.

Practicing honesty or perhaps a more comprehensive snapshot of my current well being or story has been really beneficial. It’s hard. But what’s harder is not feeling like anyone is with you in the hard stuff, and not really knowing the hard stuff in your friend’s life.

Do you know what your friend’s problems are? What their needs are? If not… go and find out!

Priority

Pay attention to what takes your margin these days: the in-between of the bigger events. What you do when you have a few minutes or hours between your next thing. I’m guessing it’s your phone, social media, or games. Why? Those have become mine too.

Boredom and margin give us space to consider what we need, what is life giving, what is the bigger picture. Without them, we are distracted, and don’t take the time to consider what we need.

Find ways to make relationships a part of your margin again. Instead of listening to a podcast on a walk or commute, call a friend. Instead of another night in to watch tv, invite a friend over.

Even if it’s to watch tv together. But perhaps you’ll get more creative than that.

I have found that surfacing my relationships as a top-of-mind priority helps me to make decisions for how I spent my days. How am I connecting with others? What feels a bit outside my comfort zone but I know is more aligned with my relational needs?

It’s okay to have needs. Sometimes that feels weird to say or to accept. So do your friends. And often times your relational needs get met together when you spend time with them. It’s a win win.

As much as it is good for you to engage with others, don’t forget that you’re a blessing to them too. They will need your questions, your insight, your jokes, your intentionality, just as much as you need theirs.

Generosity

This isn’t a generosity like to a charity or foundation. This is a generosity of spirit. Have you ever spent time with someone that clearly just finds you useful? That they need something from you, but they don’t have a genuine interest in you?

Or have you ever treated someone like that?

I chose the word generosity because I have wanted to shift my focus from “what benefit does this person give to me” to “how could I be a blessing to them”. I am often challenged by Jesus’ words, asking the value of only loving those who are easy to love. It punches me in the gut.

I want to live my live generously, care about people generously, and not hold on so tight, so protectively…

The opposite of my question above, of spending time with someone who is “life-giving”, is my aim. I want to think more about my relationships and how I can be a giver of life to them.

That’s all for today friends.